Rail joint



Jan. 26, 1937. H. A. MUMPER RAIL JOINT Filed March 5l, 1936 'Il' "il nvcnox 51xlirafr'y 0% amper Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to rail joints, and has for an object to provide a rail joint for coupling together the abutting ends of rails without recessing, perforating or in any way weakening or changing the structure and configuration of the heads, webs, or base anges of the rails.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail joint by use of which the abutting ends of the rails are held not only in vertical but also in transverse or horizontal alinement, and wherein is eliminated unevenness at the abutting ends of the rails to prevent impact against the extremities of the rail heads with the consequent chip, crystallization and other deteriorating effects on the tread surfaces at the ends of the rail.

The invention has for a further object to provide a rail joint through which is transmitted load pressures from one rail end to the other to correspondingly depress one rail end as the other rail end takes up the load for interbracing the rail ends and maintaining them at all times in vertical alinement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint which may be disposed between adjacent ties and anchored thereto for preventing slipping and which may be used with the conventional type of rail so that the latter may be secured in the usual way to the cross ties by anti- Creepers according to the present well known practice.

The invention further aims at the provision of a rail joint which may be quickly and easily applied to the'rail ends and which may be rmly held in overlapping relation with respect to the line of juncture of the rail ends without the use of cross bolts and other devices requiring openings and the like through the webs of the rails.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away of a rail joint constructed according to the present invention and as applied to the meeting ends of rails.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken through the rail joint in the vertical plane of abutment of the rail ends.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken through one end portion of the rail joint, showing the adjacent rail end in section.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one end of the rail joint as applied to one of the rail ends, the alining and load transferring key being removed, and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the alining and load transfer keys.

Essentially, the invention provides independent units for the opposite rail ends of a joint and means for joining the units together.

Referring now to the drawing the improved joint is shown as applied to the endwise abutting ends of rails IG and II, and the latter are supported in the usual manner upon cross ties I2.

The rail joint comprises two pairs of fish plates I3, one pair of plates for each rail end, and the plates of each pair are disposed against the opposite sides of the webs I4 of the rails and have congurations to t not only against the opposite sides of the webs I4 but also against the undersides of the heads of the rails I0 and II. The sh plates are adapted to be mounted on respective rail ends with the outer ends of the sh plates substantially flush with the ends of the rails as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The fish plates I3 are held firmly and in clamping engagement against the opposite sides of the webs I4 by chairs or clamps I5. Each chair or clamp I5 comprises a base or plate portion I6 adapted to extend across the bottom of the base I1 of its rail end and which is provided with upstandng and inwardly directed flange portions which overlap the outer sides of the sh plates I3 and hold them firmly in place. These chairs or clamps I5 may be of substantially the length of the respective pairs of sh plates I3 and are disposed with their outer ends flush with the outer ends of the adjacent rails I0 and II while at their inner ends the chairs or clamps I5 have anchor lugs I8 adapted to overlie the adjacent ties I2, and which are suitably apertured for the reception of spikes I9 or the like adapted to be driven down into the tie for anchoring the chair thereto.

The flange portions of the chairs I5 are pro-- vided with ribs or projections 20 which are dlrected upwardly toward each other, overlap the upper sides of the bases I'I of the rails and which 45 engage beneath the lower portions of the fish plates I3 to rmly hold the iish plates in raised position against the rail heads and which are adapted to receive pressure from the sh plates to more firmly bind the chairs or clamps I5 in 50 place.

These chairs or clamps I5 may be made in any desired number of parts, the same being shown divided in the present instance so that each chair is composed of separate side parts having a stepped overlapping joint at its middle portion beneath the base Il of its adjacent rail. The upper stepped joint of one chair section has as a depending apertured pin 2i which engages through a correspondingly formed perforation or opening 22 in the lower stepped portion of the opposite chair section, and a tapering key or wedge 23 is driven through the opening in the pin 2l beneath the chair to join the two sections rmly together, the key preferably having a split end as shown in Figure 1 which may be spread to lock the key in place.

The rail joint thus comprises two opposed sections adapted for independent mounting upon the opposite rail ends I and Il so that each joint section is constructed and mounted as shown in Figure 4.

In order to hold the rail ends and the opposed joint sections together and in Vertical and transverse alinement, a pair of alining and load transier keys 24 is provided. Each key 2Q is of substantially block form as shown in Figure 5 with upper and lower flat horizontal faces but with its opposite ends 25 beveled and inclined 'upwardly and inwardly of the key, and each key is provided in its lower face with a longitudinal guiding groove 26.

These keys are inserted at opposite ends in correspondingly formed recesses or openings 2l provided in the opposed meeting ends of the sh plates i3 so that the keys 24 have a substantially tight t in the openings 2l as shown in Figure 1. The bottom walls of the recesses 2l of the sh plates are provided with upstanding beads 28 which t into the groove 26 of the keys to hold ythe latter in alinement within the recesses 2l and the keys 2Q are provided with relatively at opposite sides, and are of substantially the same thickness as that of the sh plates i3, so as to iit between the ilange portions of the chairs iii and the opposite sides of the webs it of the rails.

The keys 24 thus admit of the quick and easy interlocking of the sections of the rail joint by the endwise movement of the rail ends li) and l l toward each other. The keysy 2&2 extend across the opposite sides of the gap between the rail ends and are rmly held between the substantially. parallel upper and lower walls of the recesses 2l and against the inclined inner walls of the recesses so that when a load is imposed upon one rail end .the keys 24 are depressed bodily and transmit the pressure to the opposite rail end, equally at opposite sides thereof so as to hold the heads of the rails i and Il in true vertical and transverse alinement.

There are no parts of the rail joint capable of displacement incident to vibration or flexure of the joint and consequently all parts are securely anchored in their relative positions and the rail ends are rmly held in their desired endwise relation.

It is obvious that various changes and modiiications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically de-` scribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

. l. A rail joint comprising two pairs of sh plates adapted to' be clamped one pair against the opposite sides of the web of each rail end, said sh plates having registering cut away portions forming recesses in their abutting ends,

and alining and load transferring keys adapted` to be seated at opposite ends in the recesses and at opposite sides of the rail webs to overlap the gap between the abutting ends of the rails.

2. A rail joint comprising sh plates adapted to be secured against the opposite sides of the webs of abutting rail ends and having their outer ends terminating substantially at the ends of the rails, said fish plates having registering recesses in their outer ends and with upper and lower substantially parallel walls in the recesses, and a pair of keys disposed against thel opposite sides of the rail webs across the plane of meeting of the rail ends and having top and bottom surfaces for engagement against said upper and lower walls in the recesses of the sh plates.

3. A rail joint comprising two pairs of nsh plates adapted to be disposed in register at the opposite sides of abutting rail ends, means for securing the two pairs of sh plates respectively to the rail ends, said fish plates having transverse recesses in their abutting ends registering -at opposite sides of the meeting rail ends, and alining and load transferring keys seated in said recesses, one at each side of the meeting ends of the rails and across the gap therebetween for maintaining the fish plates and the rail ends in true vertical alinement.

4. A rail joint comprising two pairs of fish plates, a clamp for each pair of sh plates to bind the fish plates against the opposite sides of a respective rail end, said sh plates having in their outer ends horizontal recesses with upper and lower parallel walls and withA an upwardly and outwardly sloping inner wall, said recesses adapted for alinement in the respective fish plates when the rail ends are moved into abutting relation, and keys disposed at opposite sides of the meeting rail ends across the gap therebetween, each of said keys having upper and lower parallel faces and pro'vided with end faces converging upwardly with respect to the key, said key adapted for engagement at opposite ends in the Yrecesses of the adjacent fish plates at the sides of the rails, said keys adapted to transmit between the pairs of fish plates and the rail ends loads imposed on one rail end and to hold the rail ends in vertical and transverse alinement.

5. A rail joint comprising twopairs of fish plates, a sleeve for each pair of iish plates adapted to engage the end of a rail to secure one pair of iish plates at the opposite sides of the web of one rail end, said iish plates having registering transverse recesses in their abutting ends, and alining and load transferring keys engaging at opposite ends in the recesses and disposed at opposite sides and across the gap between the webs of the rail ends for interlocking the i-lsh plates and rail ends when the latter are moved into abutting relation.

6. A rail joint comprising two sections, each section having a pair of fish plates with recesses in their outer ends and with horizontal upper and lower walls in the recesses and upwardly and outwardly inclined end walls in the recesses, a two part chair clamp for each joint section adapted toembrace the opposite sides of a rail end to hold the' adjacent pair of sh plates thereagainst and having intertting base portions to engage beneath a rail, and a pair of alining and load transferring keys adapted to be disposed across the gap between adjacent rail ends and adapted for seating-in the recesses of the opposed joint sections when the rail ends are broughttogether, and means for anchoring Vr the chair to adjacent ties to hold the joint from displacement.

7. A rail joint comprising two opposed sections adapted for mounting upon the adjacent abutting ends of irails, each section comprising a pair of sh plates, and a chair clamp for engaging about and beneath the rail and against the sh plates to hold the latter firmly against the rail web, said sh plates having recesses in their outer ends having upper and lower horizontal walls and being closed at the inner sides by the rail web and at their outer sides by the chair clamp, and a pair of keys adapted to be disposed at opposite sides of the rail webs and for engagement at opposite ends in the registering sh plate recesses of the opposite joint sections, said keys having upper and lower horizontal sides to engage the corresponding walls in said recesses and having opposite nat lateral faces to engage between the webs of the rails and the chair clamps.

3. A rail joint, comprising pairs of sleeves adapted to engage about the bases and lateral portions of abutting rail ends, sh plates disposed against the sides of the webs of the rail ends and seated in the sleeves, and keys disposed in the sh plates within the sleeves and extending across the meeting ends of the rails.

HARRY A. MUMPER. 

